Fjallraven Keb 52L
Reviewed by
Denis Evans
+646
April 29, 2023 (original Mar 9, 2023)
Pity about the breast strap. Everything else is fine. I added a clip for each shoulder strap to allow attachment of a camera bag.
Pros
- Quality construction
- Tough strong fabric
- Excellent hip belt with excellent little pockets for things you need on the trail.
Cons
- Breast strap was way too high for me—neck high!
- Needs clips in the shoulder straps like the Fjallraven Kajka models
This is my go-to approx 50-liter backpack. I’ve had to reengineer the breast strap because as supplied it was way too high for me—cutting into my neck. I cut the Fjallraven strap off and replaced it with three items: a Sea to Summit breast strap and two Sea to Summit female clips for attaching my camera bag with the appropriate male Sea to Summit clips. Now the pack is perfect as far as I am concerned. See the image above.
I have wasted a lot of money over the years buying commercial camera pack mounting equipment. This works better than any commercial system I have tried in the past.
It is now completely comfortable for long hikes. The back is easy to adjust for length. The hip belt is very comfortable and the pockets on the hip belt are a good size for carrying incidentals bars sun crème etc. The water bottle pockets are (unlike some of my other packs!!) easy to access while on the move.
Internally there is good organization. The lid is double sided and keys and valuables can be safely put under the lid in a security pocket. For the main compartment there is one full-length side zip allowing easy access to items right at the bottom of the main compartment.
There is also a transverse zip across the bottom of the pack allowing instant access to items in the very bottom of the pack. This allows excellent access for a mid-sized pack. For larger packs the Kajka zippers work much better. The pack comes with a custom rain cover, so the fit of the cover is excellent. Inside the main compartment there is a useful pocket to hold a water bladder or valuables.
The pack comes in male and female versions and the claimed weight is 2.2kg.
After the breast strap and shoulder strap mods this pack is now excellent. The original breast strap was unacceptable, at least for me with my long torso.
Background
50 years of hiking and camping. I use the Keb 52 a couple of times every week. Over the years I have probably used it over 100 times. It shows NO signs of wear. None. This is one tough pack.
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $550 Australian on sale now $400 (AUD)
